


Hotel Cortez

by NYWCgirl



Category: American Horror Story: Hotel, White Collar
Genre: Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Mystery, Presumed Dead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-18
Updated: 2016-02-18
Packaged: 2018-05-21 11:03:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6049231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NYWCgirl/pseuds/NYWCgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peter gets a call from LA that his former (dead) CI is spotted. He goes out there to investigate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hotel Cortez

**Author's Note:**

> This story was written for the H/C bingo February Challenge. The prompts were:  
> \- Wilde card (GSW)  
> \- Undeserved reputation  
> \- Mistaken identity  
> \- Survivor´s guilt.

The Los Angeles office had contacted Peter with information about his CI. Peter had laughed at them at first. Neal had been dead for some time now. But when the case agent had emailed him a still of a security camera, Peter swallowed. The picture showed a man. The picture was clearly taken during night time, the image wasn´t clear, Peter´s breath stocked. It couldn´t be… Neal…

He was wearing what looked like a black costume and a black long coat. Next to him sat a woman. Peter immediately took out his phone and called the case agent in LA.

“What happened in that park?”

“Nothing, as far as we can tell. A couple was reported missing and assumable the park was the last place they were seen.”

“Anything else, do you have a positive ID on the couple in the picture?”

“He is known as Donovan, but he is not in any of our records. Her name is Elizabeth Johnson. I was told that you know him as Neal Caffrey. All I can tell you is that your boy is also seen with other missing person victims.”

“I´m coming over on the next plane.”

Peter explained to Elizabeth why he needed to go to Los Angeles, and she agreed that Peter needed to do this to get closure.

Jones was perfectly able to take care of things in New York, so Peter got a ticket and flew out of New York. When he arrived at the LA field office, he was pleasantly surprised to see Diana.

“Hi Boss.”

“I´m not your boss, you do know that, don´t you?”

“You will always be my boss, Peter, you know that.”

“So why are you here?”

“Well, as far as I was able to tell, they have some mysterious disappearances. Some local LAPD detective is our contact. His name is John Lowe.”

“Agents Berrigan and Burke?”

“Yes” both agents said in unison.

“Special agent Noyez., but please, call me Frank”

“You are the case agent that called me.” Peter stated.

“Yes, that is correct.”

“So, why are we here?” Diana interrupted both men.

“Well, we heard that agent Berrigan is investigating the theft of some sculptures of Arik Levy. We have a suspicion that there is at least one present in the hotel Cortez.”

“And what do I have to do with this case?”

“Well, that is a bit more delicate. You identified your CI…” agent Noyez looked in the file he was carrying.

“Neal Caffrey…” Peter filled in.

“Right, Neal Caffrey in the morgue, right. Cause of death, a single GSW to the chest.”

“So… He was already identified by hospital personnel and his ID. His fingerprints were taken by the coroner.”

“Yeah, well, that is the strange thing. He was sighted here at a local open air movie screening a couple of weeks ago. The still I sent you came from a CCTV tape.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, we have the tape, so you can see for yourself. I admit, it is not the best quality, but I think you will be able to tell us if it is him or not.”

They went into a meeting room and a tech came in with a flash drive. The camera recorded the park where the movie was shown. There were people sitting and lying on the grass. It went on for several minutes and the tech fast forwarded until… Peter and Diana both gasped. The resemblance was spooky. The posture, the look, OK, the man in the film had his hair different and wore a more elaborate outfit, but at first glance, it was Neal. Unfortunately, the film was in black and white. The camera registered Neal´s arrival with a female, their posing on the grass and their leaving. They left with another couple.

“The couple you see them leaving with are identified as Susan Bamford and Len Mills. They were reported missing the next Monday when they both didn´t show up for work.”

“You think Neal Caffery has something to do with their disappearance? He is non-violent; he has never done any crime that involved physically hurting someone.”

“Well, it is an awful strange coincidence, don´t you think? From the reports I get, he is quite the player and he isn´t against some scenes.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Peter asked, but before the agent could answer, Diana interrupted them.

“Who is the woman with him?”

“Her name is Elizabeth Johnson. She is known as the Countess and she resides at the Hotel Cortez.”

“Well, let´s check in the hotel.” Peter said to Diana.

 

 

* *  *

 

 

When they entered the hotel, it was like stepping back into the 1920s, the hotel was an architectural dream. Diana and Peter walked up to the counter where a heavy set woman in her fifties, was sorting mail.

“Excuse us.”

“Yeah, yeah…Can´t you see, I´m busy.” She continued sorting the mail, while Diana smirked at Peter. Hell this woman was feisty, not your average receptionist. When she was finished, she turned to Peter and Diana.

“How can I help you?”

“We would like two rooms, please. If possible, adjacent.”

“The room is 100 dollars a night.

Peter handed his company credit card.

“You are in room 41 and 43.” She handed them the keys.

“If you lose them, they´re fifty bucks.”

“Can we have breakfast tomorrow morning?”

“Sure, go outside, take a left and look for a breakfast bar. Anything else?”

She turned around and left them at the counter.

“Guess not.” Diana mumbled.

They walked up to the elevator and went to the fourth floor. Well, the hotel would be something Neal would like, that was for sure, it had a sort of classic style, hell, even Peter liked it.

“Let us unpack and meet each other in the bar, in let´s say… one hour?”

“Sure.”

 

 

* *  *

 

 

Peter walked up to the bar early and was welcomed by… by what exactly?

“How can I help you?” the man asked with a tied smile.

Peter glanced at his watch.

“I´ll have a beer.”

The man across the bar laughed.

“Let me guess, you´re law enforcement.”

“What gave me away?”

“The non-imaginative costume you were wearing when you came in. The bulge under your shoulder, where you wear your shoulder holster. Do I need to continue?”

“No, I get it, My name is special agent Peter Burke.”

“Liz Taylor.”

“Of course you are.” Peter said under his breath.

“What brings you to the Hotel Cortez?”

“I was informed that detective John Lowe also stays in the hotel.”

“Yes, yes, he does. But you are not here for him. You are here for another man.”

“Am I now?”

“Yes. Do you have a picture of him?”

Peter took a breath, the man was good. He checked his wallet and took out a picture of him and Neal.

“Interesting, you are here for the Countess´s toy boy.” Liz handed the picture back to Peter. “I didn´t know he swung both ways.”

Peter ignored the insinuation.

“Who is this Countess?

“She lives here, so does he. If you are lucky, they will be here tonight, otherwise…”

Liz was interrupted by Diana sitting down next to Peter.

“Hey boss.”

“Oh, hi Diana.”

“Ooh, another agent, you agents multiply or what?”

“Diana, meet Liz, Liz…Diana.”

“Nice to meet you Liz.”

“You want something to drink, wait, let me guess, a beer?”

“I´ll have the same what he is having;”

“So, shall we have a bite to eat?”

“Sure.”

They drank their beer and Peter told to put them on the hotel tap. They left the hotel and two buildings across from the hotel they found a little bistro with window tables. Peter took a chair so he could keep an eye on the hotel.

 

 

* *  *

 

They finished their meals and had coffee but nobody had left or entered the hotel. So Peter suggested they go back to their rooms and call it a night. They would start fresh tomorrow. They walked back to the hotel and when they entered the lobby, the elevator dinged.

The doors opened and a woman was standing in the middle of the car. She was dressed in a dramatic pink dress. Her hair was almost white and meticulously coifed. She had an air of mystery. Peter instantly knew she had to be the Countess.

“Who might you be?” She studied Diana.

“Special agent Diana Berrigan.”

“I´m the countess.”

“Countess of what?”

“For you sugar, any countess. Now if you will excuse me, I have an appointment. But maybe we will see each other again.”

Without further ado, she left the hotel.

“What was that?” Diana exclaimed.

“We now know who the Countess is. And I guess she likes you.”

“No Neal though.”

“Let´s have a drink, from up there, we can see who enters and leaves the hotel.” Peter suggested, walking up to the bar.

 “So, you are back, another beer?”

“Yes, that would be great. Earlier tonight, you told me about the Countess Boy toy. We met the Countess, but there was nobody with her.”

“Then he is still in his suite. He is more the indoors type. Likes to binge watch series.”

“Which suite would that be?”

“The top floor.”

“Thanks.”

Peter took the two beers and walked up to where Diana had taken a strategic position so they could keep an eye on the entrance of the hotel.

They sat there for some time, before Peter told Diana to go to bed, he would finish his beer and turn in as well.

“OK, Good night, but be careful, this hotel gives me the creeps.”

Peter laughed.

“I will.”

Peter was finishing his second beer when the elevator doors chimed. Peter craned his neck to see who had left the elevator.

Peter let out a small gasp when he realized who it was.

Could it be…

He was dressed differently, Peter had never seen him dressed liked this, if he had thought of Neal as a cartoon, now he was really dressed over the top. He wore a long black coat and a black cane. But there was nothing wrong with his gait, the cane looked more like an accessory. Under the coat were black leather pants and a black silk shirt that was open in the front, showing his chest.

Neal still hadn´t seen Peter, as he was on his way out and Peter approached him from the side. Peter grabbed his arm from behind and pulled him around.

“What the…”

“Neal?”

“No, it´s Donovan. And who might you be?”

There was no fear in Neal´s eyes, just… Peter couldn´t define what he saw in Neal´s eyes. Definitely, not recognition. Was Neal such a good actor?

“It´s Peter, NEAL.” Peter emphasized the name.

“Hmm, Peter.” It sounded like Neal tasted the name; his eyes took a more predatory look. It was like he was undressing Peter just with his eyes and making promises that couldn´t be misinterpreted.

“Want to come to a party with me?”

“Seriously? You want to party? I want you to come with me. Do you realize in how much trouble you are?”

Peter pulled Neal towards the elevator.

“You want a private party?” Neal smirked. “If you want, I call my girlfriend and we can party in our suite. She will like you.” He said with an examining gaze.

“Are you drugged?” Peter asked, trying to check out Neal´s pupils, but the light in the hallway was too dim to see anything properly.

“No, I try to keep away from junkies.” Neal said in earnest.

“Still, what is wrong with you, Neal?”

“Nothing, come up with me to the top floor and I will show you a good time.”

“What is on the top floor?”

“My suite, what else?

“OK, show it to me.”

 

 

* *  *

 

 

When they arrived in the suite, Neal threw his cane and coat on one of the stools and walked up to the record player and started some music. Peter studied the suite and he had to admit, some parts Neal would have loved, but other items were so not Neal. The most striking were the neon signs. Peter frowned when he read them.

Before he realized, Neal was pressing himself against him, handing him a drink. Everything seemed to go all at once, because suddenly the white haired woman who had introduced herself as the Countess was standing behind him.

“Donovan, you brought me a gift?”

Again the Donovan? Who was Donovan? It was an alias Peter had never heard before.

“You like?” Neal asked while locking eyes with the woman behind Peter. Peter was pressed in between them.

“I like, but not tonight, I just fed.”

Peter cold see the disappointment pour from Neal. What did she mean by _I just fed_. Had he wanted to take them out to dinner? He was confused. His eyes told him this was Neal, his nose told him something completely different. This Donovan didn´t smell like Neal, he had a more musk smell to him, power, aggression and dominance poured out of him.

“Neal, what is going on?”

“Why does he call you Neal?

“I have no idea. What is with this Neal dude?”

“Neal, what happened to you?”

“Man, get out, you are boring me.”

Donovan gave Peter a push and walked towards the room the Countess had entered.

Peter stumbled out of the suite and walked back to their rooms, he wanted to knock on Diana´s door, but decided against it, she was probably asleep.

Man, this had been strange. He needed to talk to someone, but he couldn´t call El, with the baby and all. So he called a number he hadn´t used in a long time.

“ _You better have a good reason to disturb my beauty sleep, suit_.”

“Hi Mozz.” Peter said with a tired voice.

“ _What is wrong, suit?”_ Mozzie had picked up on the distress in Peter´s voice.

“You were there with me in the morgue. Is there any doubt in your mind that Neal is dead?”

“ _Why do you want to know?”_

“I´m working this case in LA and I met Neal.”

“…”

“Mozzie, are you still there?”

“ _Yes, suit. That is impossible, Neal is not in LA. You know that_.”

“Mozz, I spoke with him, I saw him, he was standing against me.”

“ _Still, it is impossible.”_

“Is it?”

“ _I am a hundred percent sure, Peter_.”

“How can you be sure, it wouldn´t be the first time Neal faked his own dead.”

When Mozzie didn´t answer, Peter understood.

“Where is he, Mozzie?”

“ _Allegedly…”_

“Cut the crap Mozzie, tell me.”

“ _He is in Europe_.”

“Are you sure, or is it entirely possible that Neal is here in LA?”

“Mozzie let out a sigh, and then there was some scuffling to be heard, like the phone was handed to someone else.

“ _Hi Peter_.”

Peter´s knees buckled and he needed to sit on the bed.

“Neal?”

“ _Yes Peter, it is me.”_

“You ungrateful, …”

“ _Peter, Mozzie told me you are investigating a case and met me? That is impossible; I have been in Europe ever since my release from the morgue. So I don´t know who you met, but it wasn´t me.”_ Neal interrupted him.

Neal was right, he would have a serious talk when they were face to face. He would give Neal a piece of his mind.

“Neal, if it wasn´t you, you have a doppelganger. I spoke with him, even his voice is the same. He dresses different and his hair is different but that is it, it is you, even LAPD didn´t have a doubt in their mind that my CI was still alive.

“ _I am on my way. Where are you staying?”_

“In the Hotel Cortez.”

 

                                                           

 

* *  *

 

The next evening, there was a knock on the door.

Peter got up and opened the door. Without saying anything he took the person outside in a bear hug.

“Peter, you’re squashing me.”

Peter didn´t want to let go, he had missed his friend so much, and holding him proved he was real. After he calmed down, he realized, this really was Neal, his smell, his hair. So Neal had been right, it wasn´t him who he had met yesterday.

“How are you Peter?”

“Do you realize what you did?” Tears threatened to spill, but Peter cowboyed up.

“I´m sorry Peter, but it was the only way.”

“The only way for what?”

“To keep you guys safe from the panters.”

“We will talk about it later.”

“So what is it about this doppelganger?”

“Let´s have a drink in the bar and you will see for yourself. Diana is here to, but she is investigating some sculpture theft.”

“Ok, but just let us freshen up first and we will meet you in the bar.”

 

* *  *

 

 

Neal walked into the bar, which was still empty. Peter was probably calling Elizabeth or something, so he sat down at the bar. The bartender turned around and widened her eyes.

“Donovan, wow. That look really suits you, but how did you get your hair to grow longer?”

“Enchanté, and you are?”

“Liz Taylor.”

“Neal Caffrey, Nice to meet you Liz.

“I would like a whiskey.”

“You always drink beer.”

“Donovan may brink beer, I try to avoid it. I´m waiting for a friend. Anybody show up?”

 “You are waiting for the cop, Peter.”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“OK Donovan, nice act trying to seduce the agent, but I know it is you. The clothes however make you look good.” Liz gave him an appreciative look and Neal thanked her.

“Seriously, I´m not Donovan, but you got me interested.”

“Oh hi, Elizabeth.” Liz greeted someone who had sneaked up behind Neal. Neal hadn´t noticed that a woman had walked up to him. He had been too long out of the game.

“Hello sweetheart, why are you here? I thought you were joining me tonight.” A hand was placed on his shoulder and Neal turned around to face the woman.

“Well hello there.” Neal took her hand and kissed it.

She pulled her hand back.

“You are not Donovan.” She stated.

“No, I…”

She recovered quickly and smiled at him.

“Would you like to come up to my suit for a more private drink?”

Neal looked into the lobby but Peter was nowhere to be seen.

“Can you tell Peter that I am upstairs with Elizabeth.”

“Sure honey.”

She gave him her hand and Neal took it to escort her to the elevators. She had a classic beauty to her. Her hair was done up and she was wearing some designer dress, Neal really could appreciate.

When the door opened, there was this art deco decor, definitely Neal´s style.

Elizabeth turned around and smiled at Neal.

“I´m going to slip into something more comfortable, why don´t you put on some music.”

Neal walked towards to record player and browsed through the albums. He didn´t hear that someone else had entered the room.

“Who the hell are you?” a male voice demanded.

Neal turned around and his eyes widened. He instinctively took a step back. In front of him stood… he.

Shit, this guy really looked like him. He recovered rather quickly from his shock.

“Neal, you must be Donovan. I now see the resemblance and why people get confused.”

“What the hell are you doing here? Are you after Elizabeth? She is mine, do you hear me?”

“Hey look, I´m not here for trouble, OK?” Neal held up his hands to show he wasn´t going to do anything threatening.

“She thought she could make a new lover, didn´t she? Do you know what it takes to keep her happy? You won´t last a week. I have been with her the last twenty years.” Donovan spat out.

“Look, she invited me up, I see that I overstayed my welcome. Just point me to the door and I will be on my way.” Neal said in his most soothing voice.

“I don´t think so.” Out of nowhere Donovan had drawn a gun and pointed it at Neal. Neal backed away still holding his hands out, but Donovan took a couple of steps and closed the distance between them.

It was only know that Neal noticed the glove on his hand; it seemed to have some metal claws. Neal wanted to get away but Donovan pounced on him like a predator and pushed him down. Neal landed on his back side.

Donovan straddled across his hips and was a lot stronger than Neal had given him credit for. He tried to squirm away, but Donovan pinned him in place with ease. He slowly traced one of his gloved fingers across Neal´s jaw line.

“You really have a jaw for days.” Donovan smiled at his own joke.

Donovan raised his hand and suddenly Neal’s searching hands found the gun Donovan had placed next to him once he had pinned Neal down.

Neal raised the gun when Donovan brought his hand down and pulled the trigger.

“DONOVAN, NO….” Elizabeth called out. Elizabeth knelt down next to Donovan and Neal scrambled away from them until he was with his back to the wall.

Peter stormed into the suite, probably alarmed by the gun shot and stared at the scene.

“Neal? Neal!”

“I didn´t mean to, but he was going to kill me.”

“It´s OK. Shhhh,it´s OK” Peter said rocking Neal who was still staring at Elizabeth cradling Donovan.

Suddenly Elizabeth got up and walked towards Neal. Peter kept her at a distance, but she wasn´t planning on doing anything. She looked down on Neal and said.

“Remember that you just killed yourself. The guilt will eat on you forever.”

She turned around and in the next blink of an eye, she was gone.

Peter pulled Neal up and they left the suite while Peter took out his telephone. But there was no signal. Peter decided he would call from the room.

They didn´t notice that the housekeeper and Liz entered the suite just after they left it. But there was something else they hadn´t noticed, the small cut Donovan had made in Neal´s neck.

 

 

 

* *  *

 

While they were waiting for their flight back home, Neal was silent. Peter could see the guilt on Neal´s face even though Neal pretended everything was fine. Peter explained to Neal that he had shot Donovan in self defense and that he had done the right thing. But he could see Neal didn´t believe him.

There was a silver lining behind this fiasco. There was no case, before Peter had made the call to LAPD, he had gone back to the room, but there was no evidence that anyone had been shot, Donovan´s body was gone, there was no blood to be found, and if Peter had to admit, he was glad. He had reported to LAPD that it had to be a case of mistaken identity and that his CI was not in LA. The sculpture turned out not to be stolen, so Diana had left for DC again after saying goodbye and giving Neal a letter to give to Mozzie.

Peter had asked Neal to join him home, but Neal had refused and only wanted to go back to Europe.

 

‘ _Last call for Flight FA538 to New York JFK. Please proceed to gate F14’_

“That is my flight. I need to board.”

“I know. I´m fine, Peter, go back to your wife and son, I will be alright. Oh and remember, no need to call Mozzie´s number again, he tossed the telephone immediately after your call.”

“How will I be able to contact you?”

“You can´t. I´m sorry.”

“Neal…”

“No Peter, it is for the best. I´m OK. Go, you will miss your flight. Give my namesake a hug.”

Peter got up and walked towards the gate, when he turned to say goodbye, Neal was gone.

 

 

 

_The end._

 


End file.
